Critic of Kennewick School District COVID decisions to run for school board

A critic of the Kennewick School District’s reaction to COVID-19 plans to run against one of the board’s longest serving members.

Gabe Galbraith, a human resources professional and father of three, filed with the Washington Public Disclosure commission his plans to run for the seat currently held by school board President Dawn Adams.

Candidates can’t start filing officially for the November 2021 election until May 17.

Adams is the longest serving member currently on the school board, initially elected in 2001. She has not said if she plans to seek another four-year term.

She’s drawn criticism for being one of three votes to push back the return of middle and high school students to in-person learning by three months. The decision sparked protests outside of the Kennewick Administration building.

The decision came about three weeks ahead of a recommendation by the Benton Franklin Health District to hold off on bringing back students because of surging COVID-19 rates.

Galbraith was one of several parents who protested the delay.

The return to school is the top item on his agenda, he told the Herald.

“Our board failed us in Oct. 2020 and we will not go through that again,” he said.

He also has criticized teachers’ unions, saying they don’t want to return to work because they didn’t want to work.

He wants every teacher to feel free to voice their opinion without fear of retaliation, he said.

Many of his other stances are in reaction to COVID, including wanting to see increased mental health resources in schools and the need to rebuild trust with the community.

“Many in the community do not agree with decisions made by our school board this past year,” he said. “This has led to a situation in which support for school resources, bonds and levies are in future.”

A Kennewick native, Galbraith graduated from Kamiakin High School in 2001, and has been married for 19 years. They have three kids — two high school-aged daughters and a son in elementary school.

The former Marine has a master’s in business administration from Ashford University and a master’s in elementary education from Grand Canyon University.

He previously held positions in retail store management and at Amazon and at Hanford, before his current spot at Lourdes.

While the position is nonpartisan, he is an active member of the Benton County Republican Party.

This story was originally published April 18, 2021 at 1:31 PM.